Chapter Four
Six o'clock casually appeared, from the middle of nowhere. Ryan forgot about glancing at the clock every couple of seconds, as he was too busy catching up with Luke, and his stay in Portland.
"Well, any girls at Portland?" Ryan asked with a smirk, hoping Luke had moved on from his passed loves. One of which included, the stunning Marissa Cooper.
"Naw. Not yet. I'm still settling in. Haven't really had time to go out yet." Luke answered honestly. Him and his father were still unpacking, from the lazy summer, meanwhile now Luke was mainly concerned about his studies. He didn't want to flunk another year, because of his major attention on a sweet girl that entranced his life.
"That's acceptable. But you know what's not acceptable,Ryan?" Ryan shook his head, and then Seth continued excitedly, but with utter seriousness so the sensitive Ryan wouldn't get annoyed. "Coopers late." Seth shrugged, and turned his gaze away from Ryan's. Seth silently chortled, as he awaited Ryan's reply to his transgression. Ryan only shook his head disbelievingly, knowing that despite Seth was trying to act all mighty and unnaffected, he was having a grand ball inside.
The doorbell seemed sent a quiver down Ryan's back. It was her. She was here- already. As much as Ryan wanted the clock to travel sooner, he now wished he hadn't. He wasn't yet ready, but found himself walking toward the door anyway. He carefully opened it, ready to be exposed to Marissa's gentle beauty.
"Surprise!" Summer chanted graciously, while she posed to present herself to Ryan. Summer was dressed in tight low-cut jeans, and a light green halter top.
"Summer…?" Ryan asked utterly confused.
"Yeah, I know it's too much for Cohen," She was reffering to her passionate style. "Sorry Ryan, it's the project. I'm with… Seth," Summer said with digust. "Will you let me in already?" Summer said boldly. Ryan shocked with her candidness opened the door.
"Seth, come here." Ryan called. As surprised as he was, he couldn't wait to see Seth's expression. Seth came obediently, and his mouth dropped about three feet.
"Holy Mother of Pearls…" Seth gaped at Summer, and back at Ryan who was now inching a grin. Summer came up to him, and raised her eyebrow.
"Ew. Cohen don't watch me." She imitated a barfing action, and shivered all the same. When she noticed that Seth was still staring at her short and skinny body, she shot him a feirce glance that made him turn away. Seth, intimidated by this girl, turned to Ryan, and whispered in his ear.
"I'm going to kill you…" Ryan quickly raised his hands, almost surrendering. If only Seth knew that Summer came by on her own free will… THEN he'd be ecstatic.
"Is that Summer Roberts I hear?" Luke asked from the gameroom.
"Duuh." Summer said superficially. She walked into the gameroom, only to see Luke. Although she was obviously quite confused, she grinned happily. "Luke!" She raced to hug him. Seth seeing this scene, turned away in jealousy.
"Okay! Okay! No more love." Seth couldn't stand it anymore, therefore he separated the two people, only to have Summer glaring at him angrily. "Geez, Sum… you have this like, glare," He imitated Summer's well-known glare. "Do you do it to everyone, or just me?" Seth asked curiously, knowing Summer would reply something witty and sarcastic, instead to his surprise she answered.
"Nope, just you Cohen." She slammed into his shoulder, as she tried to walk by. The hatred in her eyes almost astonished him. But his main goal was to use this project to bring them together.
"So Ryan, are you waiting for someone, or what? You're all… dressed up?" Summer asked, as she made her way to the sofa, to sit beside Luke, an old friend of hers.
"Yeah. Actually, I am." Ryan darted a very quick yet meaningless smile.
Summer was hooked. "Who is it Ryan?" She asked in an amused tone. If she had the chance, she would oooooh and ahhhhh to add more drama, however Seth interrupted her.
"It's Marissa." Seth said half-seriously, and half-smiling as it occurred to him that he had a chance to talk to Summer.
Summer eyed him, with that look of disgust once more. "I wasn't asking you." She pointed out grimly, and plastered the somwhat fake smile back on her face.
"Yeah. Uhh… it's… it's Marissa." Ryan, now showing clear tension, during this F.B.I. question session. Seconds later, the doorbell rang once more. Even if it was Marissa, Ryan didn't want to show his excitement while Summer was in the room. He sat patiently, however inside he was bulging with inquisitiveness to find out who stood at the door.
"Marissa! It's like a reunion at the Cohen house tonight!" Ryan could hear Kirsten shouting with pleasure.
"Hey Miss Cohen." Marissa answered with the same excitement. "Is, umm… Ryan here?"
"Yes, of course. He's in the game room." Kirsten pointed out. Marissa's shoulder-length hair, spun as excitedly as her. Marissa wore a flaunting shirt that showed a little bit more then usual, skin. She wore extremely tight, and extremely low-cut jeans, that even beat Summer's petite pants. She wore three inch black heels. She strode into the room, seeming quite confused as she heard more then just Ryan's voice. She walked in, and immediately she not only felt over-dressed, she felt like she was intruding on, as Kirsten called it, a reunion.
"Marissa! Hey. Glad you could make it." Ryan nervously greeted her, realizing everyones' eyes were on them two.
"Hey Ryan." She surrendered a hug. She waved to everyone else who was occupying the sofa. "Hey Summer… Luke… Seth." She smiled, ignoring the completely awkward situation. Having two of her x-boyfriends in the same room, wasn't too pleasing. She decided to sit on the couch along with them. "So, uh, Summer, what are you doing here?"
"Project." Summer answered boredly.
"Really? You do all your projects at the Cohen's?" Marissa asked shocked.
"Ick no. My brain would rot here with comicbook-geek and his mountain of video games. I'm partnered with him." She pointed toward Seth unwillingly, as if her finger was going to burn if she pointed towards him any longer.
"So… why aren't you doing your project?" Marissa managed to ask, before Ryan asked her to come to the pool house.
"You're kidding me? This is too much fun!" Summer announced.
Marissa followed Ryan out the door, and into the pool house. The sun was just starting to set, revealing the night to come. Ryan uncomfortably opened the door of the pool house and forwarded Marissa inside.
"Is everything okay, Ryan?" Marissa asked gently.
"Yeah. It's fine. It was just starting to get a little loud… and crowded in there." Ryan said honestly. He led Marissa toward the couch, and asked her to sit down, as politely as he could.
"Now I'm worried. Are you sure everything is okay?" Marissa asked once more.
"You'll be the judge." Ryan said deviously. As soon as those words emmerged from his lips, the tension was released. He no longer felt nervous, or anxious. He leaned towards Marissa very slowly. When he finally touched her soft skin, it sent shivers down his back, however he constantly followed his gut instinct. He continued to lean towards Marissa's beautiful face. And then it happened. Their lips met, and they started to kiss, ever so slowly. Ryan place his hand tenderly, on Marissa's chin. She placed her hands around Ryan's neck. The two were gently kissing, as if kissing two strangers. Marissa then pulled away, smiling happily. She knew what this meant- they were going to be together again. However, she wasn't as sure as she would like to be, but Ryan stepped in on her train of thought and asked.
"Marissa… will you be my girlfriend?" Ryan asked in an entranced voice, gazing at the miraculous splendour, he knew as Marissa. Marissa smiled even harder, as Ryan finished the sentence.
"God, yes." Then Marissa approached Ryan, with her lips once more- this time, the two were engaged in vivid, and feriocious making out session. Marissa was moaning with slight pleasure, ecstatic that she had Ryan as her boyfriend. She had finally awaited the day, however in a matter of time she stopped feeling a dab of guilt as she remembered her best friend alone in the gameroom.
"Ryan, maybe we should go, erm… announce our news?" Marissa asked.
"You want to tell them, already? I haven't even let it completely soak in… I don't think I'm ready, yet. You know?" Ryan questionned the fact that Marissa wanted to run off, and tell the world about them after virtually 5 minutes of being a couple.
"Well, it's exciting. You know 'Marissa & Ryan' together again? Don't you think? It's like meant to be." Marissa answered dazed, also trying to soak in the thought of her and Ryan in the same sentence, in the meaning of boyfriend and girlfriend.
"If you want to, I guess there's nothing to be ashamed of." Ryan assured her. Marissa smiled joyfully.
"Well then I want to. I want this to be as official as I think it is."
As Seth was paying attention to the video screen, along with Luke, Summer was being bored out of her mind. She thought it was the most fun thing ever to hang out with boys. Turns out, the minute Cooper left with her lover-boy, there wasn't much glee at all. Summer would occassionally spit some rude comment at Seth, who was doing absolutely nothing.
"Cohen, you're blocking my view. Your big head is blocking my view of the screen." Summer hissed loudly.
"Oh Sorry Princess Roberts. Maybe you could just chop off my head, since you obviously want to." Seth replied, getting annoyed from her comments.
"Well maybe I should." Summer said blankly, unsure of what to reply. "You wanna go start our project? It's been like thirty minutes since I've came by, and you haven't said a word about the project."
"Neither have you." Seth replied, his eyes still glued to the screen. Summer was getting quite angry, and without further hesitation she stood up, and slammed the power of the video game projector, to OFF.
"Now, Cohen. We're going to start our project. The sooner we finish, the faster I get to leave." Summer smiled visciously, and insisted that Seth got up and started the project. Luke nervously eyes Seth, not envying his position one bit. However, getting dragged by the hottest girl in school, wasn't such a minus either. Seth, led Summer into his room, where his brand new, flat-screen computer awaited hungrily to start some research.
Luke wasn't left alone for long, as seconds later, Marissa and Ryan came prancing into the room, hand in hand. Luke simply gaped, then cracked a smile. "I present you, Man and Wife." Luke joked slightly.
"Damn right, Luke. We're now, a couple." Marissa didn't even wait to spread the news to her best friend first. She spilled the beans to Luke, her x-boyfriend. Ryan simply smiled, and shrugged, as if apologizing for Marissa's arrogant outwardness. She sat down on the sofa, and invited Ryan to do that same.
"Aren't you gunna cuddle with me?" Marissa silently whispered. Ryan didn't answer; only put his muscular arm around his fragile girlfriend. He pulled Marissa towards his chest, where she could lay her head. This comfortable, yet slightly forced moment, was interrupted by Kirsten, calling for a delectable dinner.